Thill-coupling



B. Pv THILL GOUPLINGl ANO' 428,024-

Patented May 13, 1890.

Iw'venr: 99%@ UNITED STATESv PATENT OEEICE.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN STETLER, OF LAMAR, KANSAS.

THILL-COUPLiNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,024, dated May 13, A1890.

.Application filed March 3, 1890. Serial No. 342,382. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN STETLER, of Lamar, in the county of Ottawa and State ot' Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ThillCouplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will ena-ble others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this speci-v Iication.

My invention relates to an improvement in thill-couplings; and it consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.v

The object of my invention is to provide a shaft-coupling inv which the pressure of t-he spring is removed, and which is again applied as soon as the couplingis closed, and to so construct the spring that its pressure can be applied to or removed Afrom the shaftiroulat will.

Figure l is a side elevation of a shaft-coup- .ling which embodies my invention, the catch being shown in solid lines in one position and another position in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the spring. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of my coupling. Fig. 5 is a plan View ol an axle, showing my couplings attached thereto and the thills inthe act of being placed thereon.

A represents a clip, to which the plate C is rigidly secured in the usual manner. To the inner side of the outer end of this plate O is rigidly secured the pin D, which passes through the eye E ot the thill-iron B in the usual manner, and which pin is notched in one side of its outer end, so as to engage with the catch. To the opposite edge ot' the clip from the plate O is secured a much shorter plate F, there being left suflicient space between the outer end of this plate F and the end of the pin D to allow the shafteiron B to be freely placed upon and removed from the pin. Passing horizontally through the inner ends of these two plates C F is a partially-revolving rod G, which is provided with a cam the spring J, and to one end of this pin G is rigidly secured the catch L, which is preferably provided with a handle at its inner end for the purpose of operating it. A handle is not absolutely necessary, for the catch may be made without one, if so desired. The hooked end of this catch engages with the notch in the pin D for the purpose o'.' holding the thill-iron B in place. This catchL being rigidly secured to the partially-turning bolt G, the bolt is operated each time that the catch is opened or closed. lVhen the catch is raised, the thill-iron B can be freely removed and returned to position; but when the catch is closed the thill-iron is locked rigidly in posit-ion.

The spring .I is made of spring-wire of suitable thickness, and is used to prevent the rattling or noise of the parts while in use. In order to give this spring the desired shape and rigidity, the short rod P is used, and around this rod the wire out of which the spring is made is wrapped a suitable number of times, so as to form the coils Q. From the outer ends of these coils Q extend the ends R, which are bent outward, as shown, so as to catch over the top part of the coupling, and thus prevent them from becoming accidentally displaced. From the inner ends of these coils Q the wire is curved upward to the points S,and from these pointsS it is bent backward to the pointT, and from the point T itis bent downward to the hook or forward bend U. The curved vertical portion bears against the rear edge of thethill-iron, while the horizontal portion passes over the top ofthe cam upon the bolt G, and the hook catches underneath the cam, so as to be operated thereby whenever the catch L is opened or closed. Vhen the catch is opened, the cam engages with the hook and pulls or turns the spring backward, so as to remove its pressure from the thill-iron, and thus leave the thill-iron tree to bc removed. As soon as the catch is closed the cam ceases to bear against the hook, and then the pressure of the spring is again applied to the thill-iron to prevent rattling ot the parts.

In order to enable the shafts to be readily applied to the thill-irons, the pin D upon one of the couplings will be made longer than the other, so that it can be rst inserted into the eye of one of vthe thillwirons, and then the IOO other pin oan he inserted much more readily than could he done if both of the pins were made of the same length.

In order to prevent the catch Ii from heeoming accidentally loosened, there is pivoted to the rear end ot its handle a spring-actuated catch X, as shown in Fig. I, and which catch X has its upper end to catch over the rear end of the elip-plate V.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a thill-eoupling, the combination of the clip having a plate extending outward f rom one side thereof, a thill-holt rigidly secured to the outer portion ofthe plate, a short plate at the opposite Side of the said clip, a rod passing through the said plates inside of the thill-bolt, the rod having a cam at its eenter and a latch rigidly seenred to one end of the eam-bolt, the forward end of the latch engaging the said thill-holt, and a spring having a vertical portion adapted to bear against the inner side ot' said lthill and extending backwardv to the cam-bolt and its end engaging the said cam, whereby when the latch is turned up the pressure of the spring against the thill is released, snbstantiallyas speci lied.

2. In a thill-eoupling, the combination of the clip having a plate at one side thereof, a thill-bolt secured at one end to the said plate,

a ea|n-bolt in rear of the said thill-holt, a latch rigidly secured thereto at one end and having its forward end engaging the free end ot the thill-bolt, a spring having a vertical rear portion which engages the clip, its lower portion formed into a coil, a forward vertical portion adapted to hear against the thill, and an upper portion extending rearward and engaging the cam-holt, whereby when the latch is turned upward the pressure of the spring against the thill is released, substantially as shown and described.

In a thill-coupling, the combination of the clip having a plate extending outward therefrom, a thll-holt rigidly secu red at one end to the said plate, a latch pivoted to the clip and having its front end extending forward and engaging' the said thill-holt, and its rear end extending downward and rearward under the axle, and a catch secured to the rear end thereof, which engages the lower plate of the elip for locking the said thillholt lateh, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN S'IETLER.

IVitnesses:

W. L. HARVEY, WM. H. AVERY. 

